Mouthpiece for wind instruments



Feb. 9, 1932. RIVES 1,844,368

MOUTHPIECE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed July 8, 1930 I I i Patented Feb. 9, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LOGAN RIVES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MOUTHPIECE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS Application filed July 8, 1930.

' forth in my Patent No. 1,750,051, filed August 17, 1927, Serial No. 213,541, allowed July 19, 1929,'issued March 11, 1930. I

In a musical instrument of the type set forth in my patent above mentioned it has been sometimes found that the pitch is not always true when various keys are operated,

i and this seems to be due to the fact that the vibrating re'ed is not sufficiently close to what may be termed a divid ng lme connecting the two air columns and causing these to v1- brate as a single column.

An object, therefore, of my invention is the construction of the mouthpiece and attachment of such mouthpiece to a multiple tube musical instrument whereby the ports leading to such instrument are close and substantially the same distance from the vibrating reed. By this construction there is substantially no vibrating air column distinct and separate from that confined in the tubes ofthe musical instrument.

The mouthpiece may be constructed in a number of different manners for attachment to different types and shapes of multiple tubes in which the multiple air columns have a single and similar Vibration. The mouthpiece may be arranged in alignment with one of the tubes and have a port for the other tube substantially adjacent the reed, or the mouthpiece may be positioned so that the reed is substantially midway between two tubes, 01 1f the tubes connect to the mouthpiece at an angle the reed is substantially at the junction line of the various tubes.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan of one form of my inven tion taken in the direction of the arrow 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, horizontal section Serial No. 466,451.

taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 is the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a plan of modification with the reed substantially midway between the pair of tubes.

Fig. 5 is a plan of another modification in which the tubes are connected to the mouthpiece at right angles.

Fig. 6 is a plan of a further modified form in which the mouthpiece connects to the device at an acute angle.

Fig. 7 is a plan of construction having multiple tubes with the reed in alignment with one of the tubes and meeting the other tubes at an angle.

Fig. 8 is a plan of a further modification of my invention with a mouthpiece suitable for a horn or the like.

Referring first to the construction of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The mouthpiece is designated generally by the numeral 11. This has on the top a lay 12 for the reed. The opening in the mouthpiece is indicated by the numeral 13 and the reed indicated at 1 1 secured in place by the usual clamping ring 15. In this construction there is a port 16 to which is connected one of the instrument tubes 17, and a second port 18 to which is connected the other instrument tube 19.

It will be seen that the port 16 and the tube 17 are substantially in alignment with the reed and that the mouthpiece has a lateral offset to the port 18 so that this port and the tube 19 are offset from the axis of the reed. However, the distance between the ports 16 and 18 and the reed are substantially equal, and as the tubes 17 and 19 connect directly to the mouthpiece, which is of comparatively short length, there is no section of the tube which may influence the vibration of the air column in the air of tubes, but these are influenced only by the vibration excited by the reed of the mouthpiece.

In the construction of Fig. 4 the mouthpiece 21 has the lay for the reed 22 centrally positioned with the opening 23 through the lay. In this case there are two lateral ports 24- and 25 with the instrument tubes 26 and 27 connected therein. In this case the reed is centrally positioned between the two tubes .has the usual 26 and 27, which are parallel, and the distance from the reed to the ports 24 and 25 is substantially equal.

In the construction of Fig. 5 the mouthpiece 28 has a lay 29 for the reed and this 1s in alignment with the port 30. At right angles to the axis of the reed there is a second port 31. In these ports there are fitted the instrument tubes 32 and 33 which are thus at right angles one to the other. In this construction, however, the distancebetween th ports and 31 and the vibrating reed is substantially equal. i

In the construction of Fig. 6 the mouthpiece 34 has a lay 35 for the reed. This-lay angle with the reed secured in the lay. In this case there is a port 36 having an instrument tube 37 in alignment with the axis of the reed and a second port 38 having the tube 39 which extends from the mouthpiece and from the line of the axis of the reed at an acute angle.

In the construction of Fig. 7 the mouthpiece 40 has a lay 41 forthe reed with the usual opening. .The mouthpiece has a transverse, tubular member 42 which is illustrated as being tapered and has a port 43 on the tapered end connected to a tapered tube 44. On the opposite side there is aport 45, this being on the large end of the element 42, and to this there is connected .a tapered tube 46. In this case it will be seen that the reed and ohe reed opening have a direct action .on the aircolumn in the tubes 44 and 46. Thus, the air in these tubes will respond to the vibration excited by the reedto give the true pitch for the different notes sounded by the instrument.

Itwill be noted that the construction of Figs. 1 thrQugh 4, in which the 'mout-hpiece forms a reverse connection for the tubes, is,

in effect, equivalent to havingthe tubes themselves bent into reverse bend as shown in my patent above mentioned. Therefore, it may be considered thatwith this mouthpiece connection I have a single tube with a reverse connection, the tube being of two parts, and

the mouthpiece exciter causing the air col- ,umn in the two tubes to vibrate as a single column.

The connection ofjFigs. 1, 2, and 3, in which the mouthpiece is in alignment with one of the tubes, maybe likened to the connection of Figs. 4 and 5 of my patent; whereas, the connection of Fig. 4 may be likened to the connection of Figs. 1 and 3 of my patent.

In the-construction of'Fig. 8 the mouthpiece 47 the tubes 48 and 49 connected thereto and has a horn type or" vibrating excite-r 50.

the connector, such as the mouthpiece, form or enclose a single air column 5 that is: a sinof the air column.

\Vhile it will be apparent that the mouthpiece may be elongated so that the actual ends of the tubes may be at varying distances from the exciter, nevertheless, in such case, the

mouthpiece may be considered as forming part of the tubes so that the air vibration from the exciter is communicating directly to the single air column.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes connected together to form a single air column, said connection being made by a mouthpiece attached toeach ofthe tubes and having a single exciter of air vibrations, the connecting point of each of the tubes being substantially equidistant from the exciter.

2. In a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes with a mouthpiece forming a connection between such tubes whereby such tubes .and mouthpiece form a single air column, said mouthpiece having a single exciter ofair vibrations,,such exciter being in close proximity with the connecting portion of the tubes and the mouthpiece, and the distance from the exciter to the said connections being substantially equal.

3. In a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes with amouth-pieceforming a connection whereby said tubes and mouthpiece form a single air column, the mouthpiece having an opening with a reed, the vibrating part of the reed being in close proximity to the connecting portions of the tubes and the mouthpiece.

4. In a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes with a connecting mouthpiece, the tubes and the mouthpiece forming a single air column, the mouthpiece having an opening with a vibrating reed, the vibrating portion of the reed being in close proximity to the air column.

5.1.11 a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes with a connector structure whereby said tubes and the connector structure form a single ,air column, a single ,exciter for air vibrations located at the saidconnector. structure, said exciter beingin close proximity to the air column.

6. In a wind musical instrument having a plurality of tubes with a mouthpiece forming a connection whereby said tubes and mouthpiece form a single air column, the mouthpiece having an opening with a lay, a reed secured to said lay positioned adjacent said opening, said reed being in close proximity to the connecting position of the tubes and the mouthpiece and thereby in close proximity to the air column.

7. In a Wind musical instrument a mouthpiece having an opening forming exciter vibrations, said mouthpiece having ports, a tube adapted to have an air column connected to each port, the said opening being in close proximity to the said ports and substantially equidistant from each port.

8. In a wind musical instrument a mouthpiece having an opening with a reed, said mouthpiece havin a pair of ports with an air tube connecte to each port, said tubes and mouthpiece forming a single air column, the distance between the connection of the tubes and the reed being substantially equal, and the reed being in close proximity to such connection.

9. In a wind musical instrument a mouthpiece having a lay for a reed, said lay having an opening, a reed secured to the lay, the said mouthpiece having a plurality of tubes forming with said mouth iece a single air column, the vibrating portion of the reed being in close proximity to the connecting position ofthe tubes and the'mouthpiece and being substantially equidistant from said connections.

10. The combination of a wind musical instrument comprising a tube having a pair of parts, a mouthpiece forming a connection between said parts by which vibrations may be excited located intermediate the two parts, said mouthpiece causing the column of air between the ends of the tube to vibrate as one column, and said mouthpiece having an exciter opening positioned in close proximity to the two parts of the tube, and said opening being substantially equidistant from the said two parts.

11. The combination of awind musical instrument comprising a tube arranged in two parts, means for exciting vibrations in the tube, said means being located at approximately the center of the tube, said means causing the column of air between the ends of the tube to vibrate as one column, the said exciter means having an exciter opening located in close proximity to the center portion of the tube.

12. The combination of a wind musical instrument comprising a tube in two parts having means forming a reverse connection upon itself, a single means for exciting vibrations for the tube, said means being located at the reverse connection, and said exciter means being located approximately directly at the reverse connection and equidistant from the two parts of the tube.

13. The combination of a wind musical instrument comprising a tube formed in two parts, means forming a reverse connection approximately in the center of the two parts, means for exciting vibrations in the tube, said means being located at the reverse connection, said means causing the column of air between the ends of the tube to Vibrate as one column, and said exciter means being directly at the reverse connection and approximate- 1y equidistant from the two adjacent portions of the tube.

14. In a device as described a connector with a plurality of tubes in a wind musical instrument, said connector and tubes forming a single air column, said connector having an exciter for air vibrations, such exciter being in close proximity to the junction of the tubes and the connector.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOGAN RIVES. 

